فَتىًa youth كانَwas مِثْلَlike السّيْفِthe sword مِنْfrom أَينَwhere جِئْتَهُyou approached him
فَتىً كانَ مِثْلَ السّيْفِ مِنْ أَينَ جِئْتَهُ
لنائِبَةٍfor a calamity نابَتْهُbefell him فهيَso it was مَضَارِبُهْhis cutting edges
لنائِبَةٍ نابَتْهُ فهيَ مَضَارِبُهْ
A youth who was like a sword—from whatever side you came to him
A youth who was like a sword—from whichever side you approached him,
because of a calamity that had befallen him, that side was one of his cutting edges.
For a calamity that befell him, there lay his cutting edges.
